Perception
by doublebagel
Summary: Olivia is back in our universe. Has it changed a lot since she left? Even 'yes' might be an understatement.  Takes place right after 3x04. Please R/R.
1. Chapter 1

Major spoilers if you haven't watched up till 3x04. Takes place right after 3x04.

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**Chapter 1**

She's back.

For Olivia, it felt like home. This time, it was _really_ home.

The ride back home was quite bumpy. Her head now hurts. When Walternate put her into the tank, they were just trying to induce her memory. But it happens to be a soft spot and Olivia's now back home. How she actually did it, only she knows. Behind her is the Opera house, which is amber-free. No more zeppelins, no more quarantine zones, no more bossy-yet-friendly Lincoln, no more Alternate-Charlie. The thought of that made Olivia stood still for a while. 'I lost Charlie once again' she thought. But she blinks and she sees the blue sky above her and she feels a little content.

Finally someone walks towards her.

"Agent Broyles! You wouldn't believe what I'm seeing! It's Agent Dunham!"

Oh, it's Walter. Olivia could barely move. Walter walks quickly towards her, seeming anxious. "Are you alright? It was a coincidence. Broyles called Peter and we got here as soon as possible. They thought it was a Fringe case. But it's you! It's you Olivia!"

Olivia can't really smile, although she'd really like to. The brightness of her eyes said everything, and Walter seems to notice that. "It's okay, Olive, it's okay. You don't have to tell me what happened. It's okay. You're going to be okay."

Olive. Olivia's mind went back to the thoughts of when she was just a little kid. Being strapped, injected with needles, being surrounded by weird cables, and this old guy, who's right in front of her right now, was there too, and he told her that it's okay, and she's going to be okay.

Walter gave her a hug, and Olivia can see Broyles approaching. Initially, Broyles didn't really get what was happening. But after seeing the two people in front of him hug, and when he sees the fragile eyes of the agent lying on the side of the scientist right there, he suddenly had an epiphany.

"Agent Dunham. We're.. glad to have you back." he said, and he gave her the typical Broyles smile. Wide, sincere, something she never really saw in Alternate-Broyles.

Olivia managed to smile back and there she was, in front of the Opera house, with probably two of the most important men in her life. She then notices something. Something is missing. Something is not here.

"Peter.. Where's Peter?" she asked, her voice trembling.

Broyles looked at Walter, and Walter's face turned worrisome.

"He's, uh, he's going to be here any minute now, Olivia. He's on his way."

As Walter finished talking, Peter walks through the groups of agents who are currently securing the area. 'That's her.' he thought. He speeds up and walks up the stairs. His face looks dazed, yet concerned.

"Olivia. I.. I.."

Olivia doesn't say a word and she just leans forward and hugs him with all she had. Peter then moves aback and looks at her in the eye.

"Olivia, I'm so sorry."

"It's okay, Peter, I'm back. We're good."

It was awkward. More awkward than when they both met the first time. Suddenly Olivia hears some footsteps coming her way.

And there she is. All blonde, wearing what Olivia's sure comes from her closet, standing right in front of her eyes.

It's the other version of her. The girl whose life she's been living the last couple of weeks. The girl who tricked her. The girl who basically left her on the other side. The girl who stole her life.

Altlivia's face was pale; it was as if she saw a ghost. She couldn't really say a word. She couldn't really believe what she's seeing either. When she woke up this morning, she had no weird feelings, no weird thoughts, and she just thought that today was just going to be like any other day. Broyles called her at around noon to inform her that there was a Fringe case in the Opera house. When she heard him say Opera house, she got chills but she convinced herself it's going to be fine. She then met Peter and she just thought it's going to be the usuals.

"You don't belong here." Olivia managed to say. She looked at Altlivia right in the eye. Altlivia felt slightly intimidated. The look Olivia gave her was more piercing than she thought it would be. 'What would I say to her anyway?', she thought. 'Thank you for letting me live your life and also possibly ruining your universe but fuck, you came back a bit too early? '

Olivia sees all the guilt in Altlivia's eyes. It was her who did the switch, not Olivia. Olivia just remembered that she was with William Bell one time, and suddenly she had a bump on her head and everything was dark. She heard an explosion, and suddenly the next thing she knows is that she's in a cell. Stuck. Alone.

Everyone else didn't know what to say. They stood in silence for a while. Peter finally notices that Olivia is staring at the floor, now shedding a tear. He just grabbed her hand and held it tight. Olivia pulls her hand away and looks at Peter.

"You believed her, didn't you?"

"Olivia.."

"That's why you said you're sorry."

"Olivia, really.."

Altlivia just stood there. If everyone was feeling awkward at that time, she was probably the one who's feeling the most awkward. She couldn't defend herself. She couldn't really say a word. She just witnessed what's happening in front of her, the reunion of two people who are supposedly madly in love with each other. The reunion of a couple which she basically ruined.

"I was over there Peter."

"Olivia." Walter cuts her. "Should we get you into the ambulance?"

"And I had thoughts of you." Olivia just kept talking. She heard what Walter said, but she couldn't really care less at the time. She stares at Peter, blankly. "You were the reason why I was there. I thought I was going mad, but you were the one who kept me sane. You're why I fought to get back home."

"Olivia.."

"But you have her. And you didn't even see the differences, did you?"

"I did, I actually did, but.."

"There are no buts Peter." She then looks at Broyles. "Sir, I think I'm ready to go."

Broyles nodded his head and signaled for the ambulance to come closer.

As Olivia was carried to the ambulance, she couldn't stop looking at Peter. He's standing there, looking at her from time to time, but when she sees Altlivia, and how she looks at Peter, Olivia definitely knows things have changed.

Things have changed a lot when she left.

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Hey guys, first of all, if you're reading this, well then thanks for making it _this _far. Thanks for reading my first ever fanfic, which happens to be a Fringe one! ;) Anyways please bare with me with the mistakes, this is still unbeta-ed, and if you have any ideas or comments, please please please **_review _**so I know what to improve or change. TYSM GUYS I WILL TRY TO WRITE CHAPTER 2 ASAP!


	2. Chapter 2

HEYA! I did the best I could and if the characters are starting to get a lil bit OOC you all have the rights to amber me. Or you can Dunham me (yes in my life '_dunham_' is a verb). Whatever you like. Please review though, they mean the world to me. And guys.. Peter and Olivia _will_ end up being together. It's the end game ;)

And I do _not_ own Fringe, although I'd very much like to. Alright, so here it goes...

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**Chapter 2**

Olivia's comeback was a shock to everyone.

Walter has spent days in the lab, doing only he knows what. Astrid told Peter that Walter had been concentrating on finishing his Let's-make-Gene-produce-chocolate-milk Project and he'd also been on a custard craze.

Astrid has been taking this the hard way as well, but she's been trying to stay calm, so she can be a 'bumper' for the people around her.

Broyles now knows that there is an imposter under his watch, and felt tricked because he didn't realize this all along. Now, as the aftermath, he's got a lot of stuff to deal with, and not to forget he also to figure out what to do with Altlivia. Sometimes he wish they could just Fed-Ex her to a random place or just make her vanish.

Peter is the one who's affected the most by all this. He felt.. deceived. He felt like he's made a fool of himself. He betrayed _his_ Liv. He was basically with Altlivia almost everyday, doing various stuff starting from investigating cases, accompanying Walter for numerous trips to the supermarket, and doing.. God-knows-what with her. Oh, for that one he didn't want to think about the details. Not anymore. He doesn't know what to think about that. Did she use him just for sex? Does this mean he cheated on _his real_ Olivia? Cheated? Were they even a couple? Should he tell her? About what happened with Altlivia. About his true feelings. Well, that'd happen only if he _had_ the guts to do so. But if he doesn't tell her,

"Peter? You alright?"

Peter's thoughts are cut by Astrid's friendly voice.

"Yeah. Well. Not really. But yeah. I'm dealing with it."

"You should probably eat something. Walter made some custard. Well, quite a lot of them, in fact." Astrid hands Peter a bowl of yellowy custard.

'Olivia has always hated the color yellow.' He thought.

"How's Walter doing?" He asked Astrid.

"Well, he's doing pretty okay. When I heard that you guys found our Olivia, I immediately hid the container of Brown Betty. I knew Walter would use that as his temporary fix. But I guess he's now better off making chocolate milk. Have you heard anything about Olivia? And.. the other version of her?"

"Olivia's still at the hospital. Altlivia is.. well, I heard she's under Broyles' custody."

"Ah, she's still at the hospital. I wonder when Olivia will get to go home. But I guess in the mean time I can go pay her a visit. You wanna come with?"

Peter wants to see Olivia. He misses _her_. Now when he knows the whole, naked truth, he suddenly realizes all the differences between Olivia and her alternate. Peter once said 'Maybe she's nothing like you', he now realizes that what he said back then was true. They're not alike. He spent quite some amount of time thinking about the two Olivias, and he imagined if he _had _to choose between the two, who'd he choose?

'Why am I even thinking of this? How can I _not_ choose _my_ Olivia?', he thought.

But he likes some part of Altliv, despite the fact that she's been a liar all along. Maybe it's the fact that they're from the same universe? Maybe this has got something to do with the so-called animal-instinct and the likes. 'Ah, but Olivia _crossed over_ to save me.', he thought. And not only that, he's always liked those fragile green eyes, sometimes seeming as if they're in need of help, but most of the time they just resemble clear tranquility. And the two years they've spent working together, solving various weird out-of-this-world cases, it was probably the best time of Peter's life. Peter could hardly stay at one place ever since he was a teenager, but Olivia made him stay. She also reconciled him with his estranged father. He knows he shouldn't even be thinking about _choosing_ either of the Olivias in the first place. 'I belong with _her_.' he thought, and his thoughts wandered to the memories of them being over there… the kiss.

"Peter?"

'Am I ready to see her? What will I say to her? Sorry, repeatedly? I mean, would she even forgive me?' He thought.

"Uh. Sorry Astrid. No. I think I'm gonna pass on this one."

"You sure? Well, okay. By the way, if you need to talk or anything, you know that I'm here for you too, and not only for Walter right?"

"Thanks Astrid."

"Peter! Have you tried the custard? Ah, Astro, are you going home?" Walter walks in.

"It's Astrid, Walter, for the gazillionth time.", Astrid said with a slight smile on her face. 'When will he ever get my name right?', she thought. "And nope, I'm visiting Olivia at the hospital."

"And Peter, you don't want to come along?"

"No, Walter, I told Astrid I'm not going."

"Why is that so?"

"Alright, Peter, Walter, I'm going okay. If you need something just call me. And Walter, we have enough custard supply for an entire month already. Please don't make or _make me_ make some more."

"I have not reached my desired consistency of the custard. Until I find the ultimate formula, I will not stop, Astro. I shall see you later. Now, Peter, son, tell me. Why wouldn't you want to see Agent Dunham?" Astrid walks out of the lab, leaving the two Bishops alone.

"Walter. Can we just _not_ talk about this?"

"Son. I can sense that something's wrong."

"Walter. Please."

"You were with _her_, weren't you? Her alternate?"

"Seriously Walter."

"Ah, I think I know what's wrong. You didn't come home that night, did you? The night after we dealt with the shapeshifter case?"

"Walter! How can you know about that?" Peter is surprised. He didn't expect Walter to notice about what happened that night.

"As you might know already, I'm always worried when you don't come home. But the thing is, you _always_ come home. Every night. You know how worried I can get. But that particular night, you did _not _come home."

"Walter, I'm an adult already. You shouldn't-"

"Were you with her, Peter?"

"Walter!"

"Son. Look at me in the eyes."

Peter gave up. He cannot lie about this. He can't keep this to himself anymore. Walter knows. Peter knows he should speak up about this, but probably speaking up to Walter won't really solve the problem. But whom else would he talk to? Walter's his father, for God sake, or well, his _other_ father.

"Yes. Walter. Yes. I was with her." He heard himself say.

'Shit, why did I let that out?' He thought.

Walter's face turned into utter shock.

"Oh dear."

Walter stared at his bowl of custard, but finally looked up at Peter again.

"Does Olivia know?"

"Seriously, Walter, how would she know? She just got back two days ago. I haven't even spoken to her since we saw her at the Opera house. She doesn't even want to talk to me."

"Well son, maybe that's also because you never visited her at the hospital."

"Well what am I supposed to do if I visit her? Tell her that I screwed up and I slept with the other version of her?"

"This custard is a bit runny, don't you think?" Walter plays with his spoon and stirs the custard around.

'Ugh, typical Walter.' Peter thought.

"Walter. You were the one who talked me into this."

"Ah yes. I was saying, maybe you should visit her."

"And do what? Tell her everything? Beg for her forgiveness?"

"Do you want her to know about this, son?"

'That's the thing, Walter. I, myself, am not even sure.' Peter thought.

"I don't know, Walter, I can't imagine how she'd react to all this."

Walter doesn't say a word.

"Son." he finally speaks up. "Do you _love_ Olivia?"

Now it's Peter who's completely silenced. 'Do I?' he questioned himself. 'Dude, why am I even questioning myself about this?' That is supposed to be a rhetorical question. He knows what the answer is.

Walter looks up to Peter and gives him a smile.

"If you love her, tell her."

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A/N: Guys thanks for the kind reviews for the previous chapter, it really made me wanna write this chapter like.. asap :D Maybe this chapter sucks, IDEK, coz it's basically just Peter dealing with his own thoughts and feelings (I like seeing him messed up. I think I like my men messed up. OH LMAO.) By the way, I figured that Walter _should_ know about what his son did with Altlivia the other night. I remembered, during the dinner scene between Altliv and Peter, Peter was like 'I had a really nice time but unfortunately if I don't get home Walter's gonna start wondering where I am' or something like that, meaning that _if_ that night Peter didn't go home, Walter would definitely notice. IDK. That's how I see it.

And I apologize once again if they're OOC XD If you have ideas or comments just write 'em in the reviews. SEE YOU IN CHAPTER 3!

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**Spoiler alert**: The next chapter will revolve around Altlivia. JSYK ;P


	3. Chapter 3

Sorry it took me a while to update this, I was a bit busy and although I had a clear idea of what to do with this chapter, actually writing it down was not as simple as it seems ;) Once again, I do not own Fringe or any of its characters. If I did, my life would be made.

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**Chapter 3**

He had her lips locked with his. For a moment, he felt warmth. He felt a sense of attainment, he felt as if he was on cloud nine. 'This is it', he thought. The moment he's been waiting for. This is the one thing he'd been _dying _to do for the last year or two but never got the guts to actually do. It all felt subtle, yet momentous in a way.

But then it all ends. Like a balloon stabbed with a sharp needle, he felt himself pop. Surprised, dazed, and he definitely thought it'll all last a bit longer.

"Sorry, Lincoln. I… I can't. I just can't." She pulled herself back, leaving enough space between them.

"I'm… I'm seeing someone."

* * *

Altlivia wakes up, trying to catch her breath. Her eyes stares blankly at the white wall in front of her, and her heart is racing. 'Not that dream again,' she thought. She shrugs her shoulders and she realizes she's still in the cold cell, all alone by herself. She caught a glimpse of the burnt guy, lying dejectedly on the ground. She closes her eyes and tries just to get it out of her head.

The dream came to her again. It was about the _thing_ that happened a year ago. The one, tiny event that she's actually not supposed to remember. It actually took her quite a while to forget that one specific occurrence, she convinced herself it was a mistake. Lincoln never brought it up, and neither did Liv.

She just started seeing Frank, probably for about a month, and things were going pretty smooth. He was everything she could ask for in a guy, he cooks (and bakes occasionally), he's nice (both in person and in… you know), he takes care of the house, and he takes care of _her_. Altlivia has been so committed to her job, and if there was no Frank she probably thinks her house would end up looking like a slum, and she'd be living on a diet consisting of takeout food and frozen pizzas.

But then Lincoln came along. And they shared that one, clandestine kiss. It happened after that one case in which they ambered this building in Queens. It was the first time they both actually witnessed something being ambered, and after everyone left, the two of them stayed behind in the dark alley, and it just happened. The kiss that should've never happened. They were supposed to be coworkers. They got assigned to the same team in the Fringe Division along with Charlie, Liv's good ole friend. They work on weird and mysterious cases; at least that's how she thought normal people would think of her job. But she was actually astonished with all this and she was excited to go to work everyday, just to know what's in store for them. And she wants to be the hero. She wants to be the one who saves people, and she wants to impress her team. She wants to be the best. And that feeling when you just solved a case? It's unexplainable, a mixture of triumph, pride, and a small amount of elation.

And now, she thinks, that's the drive that got her here. The alternate universe.

She thought she was just doing her job, when Mr. Secretary told her to do the switch. It was a mandate, a highly regarded one in fact, since it came directly from Mr. Secretary himself. It was all for the mission. . This one mission she felt she had to accomplish no matter what, because it's all for the sake of her world. She had to live in the world of monsters, exact copies of the people she knows, just to make sure they will win the war that awaits them. She knew it was not going to be easy, but she never, ever thought it would require this much sacrifice.

She left her perfect life, Frank, her mom, and her colleagues. She must now live a life full of lies, and she has to wake up in the morning, telling herself in front of the mirror that she's going to be just fine. She's not going to screw up. The mission is what matters. She has to live as her double, this world's Olivia Dunham, who although seems to be identical to her, but is actually unlike her. At all. She remembers seeing her for the first time, when she confronted her in her own house, asking for _her _help. The look in her pitiful eyes, begging for help. 'Shameful,' she thought.

Not to mention she has to deal with this side's Mr. Secretary. Actually, over here, he could be considered as no one, if you compare it to the other side. He's just a mad scientist who used to work in a dusty old lab in Harvard. She did all her homework and research, and figured that despite the quirkiness, and the fact that he has a silly, undying love for root beer, Walter might be one of the smartest people she might encounter while she's here – and he would also be useful for the mission, thus she has to be extra careful to make sure that he won't notice anything.

Also, Rachel and Ella. The two people who are _not_ supposed to be there in her life. It's not an easy fact to accept, knowing that Rachel died back home. She never, ever knew Rachel and now she has to pretend that she does. And that little rugrat, Ella – who probably doesn't even exist on her side. Altlivia's impressed by the fact that Ella is so observant, kind of like Walter, which also means that she has to always be on guard whenever Ella's around. 'I mean, I wouldn't want a kid to be the reason of my failure, would I?', she thought.

She also has to trick Peter, who's clearly head over heels in love with her alternate, and every time she's with Peter, no one has any idea how scared she actually is inside. Of all people, he would be the one who's most likely to find out. 'He knows her', Altlivia thought, it just depends on if he knows her well enough to see all the differences and change that occurred. Altlivia has a perfect alibi, telling Peter that she's become a different person because of all the things that happened. Seeing the other side, meeting the other her, changed her – perhaps for the better. So far Peter seems to approve, and he believes each and every word she says.

But then she came. Olivia, _this_ world's Olivia, came. Out of a clear blue sky. She crossed back. No one knows how surprised Altlivia was when she saw Olivia the other day. She was expecting a gruesome, gross body lying there, probably without its head or something – but there she was, lying down, looking pale, vulnerable and defenseless. Yet she's there. Meaning that her cover's blown. Broyles took custody of her straight away, he locked her up in a cell, and she's basically the one who's stuck now. Tables have turned. When people say what goes around comes around, apparently they are telling the truth. Altlivia has no idea what's going to happen next. She felt the longing for her Mom. Frank. She misses Charlie, and undeniably, she also misses Lincoln. She's tired of all this. Maybe she was never supposed to be on this mission anyway. She should've said no. She should've stepped back. 'But that's not what an Olivia Dunham does', she tells herself.

When she thinks of it again, maybe she and her alternate – maybe they're not so different after all. Olivia crossed to save Peter, and obviously he meant the world to her. Apparently their love – or whatever was going on between them, made crossing universes worth the shot. Olivia did something to save what she believes is important. And that's what Altlivia did. She switched, she committed herself to an out-of-this-world mission, because she believes that's what it takes to save _her_ world. Despite their apparent dissimilarity, there actually lies a hint of resemblance.

But at the end of the day, Olivia saved herself. She managed to cross back, with this unknown ability of hers. And Altlivia does _not_ have this ability. She can't save herself. She has no idea how this is all going to end. She's the one who's helpless and beyond hope.

For once, she felt haunted. Empty. She pulled her thin, nearly see-through blanket, covered her legs and just closed her eyes, with hopes that if she fell asleep this time, the dreams relating to the other side - to the people she misses and loves, would _not _come to her.

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A/N: Honestly, the decision to write about Altlivia was quite… challenging. It felt weird at first, to try and see things from her point of view, but at the end I guess it made me love her _slightly_ a bit more (I still hate her for making out with Peter, hnggg, and I don't know when or if I'll ever forgive her for that). But it was fun and now I'm looking forward to writing Chapter 4. Reviews are _always_ welcome, and do leave me some suggestions if you have any ;) Thanks and see ya!


	4. Chapter 4

This one's just going to be a short chapter. I kinda see it as an.. intermezzo. We've been over here for three chapters and I thought we should see what's going on at the other side. After all, Olivia Dunham shocked them all by crossing back like a boss ;)

I do not own Fringe and I am not related to it in any way. Not yet. Not until JJ Abrams decides to hire me or something.

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**Chapter 4**

The beeping sound keeps on going and going. The computers seem to be crashing, the word CRITICAL keeps on flashing on the screen.

Brandon tried clicking his mouse repeatedly, typing queries and commands, in a way actually looking like he's smashing his keyboard.

"Something wrong, Brandon?"

"No, sir, the tank.. it seems to be working." At least Brandon thought so. That one time Olivia Dunham went into the tank, the same thing happened. The computers went into total chaos, but it actually meant that Olivia managed to cross. Yes, to the other side. The alternate universe.

"Well, great then. Be ready to get her out."

5 minutes passed.

Mr. Secretary just sits behind Brandon, who's closely monitoring the screen. It has stopped making noises, and they both feel like something's wrong.

"The first time she took the plunge, it didn't take this long, did it?"

"No, Sir, I thought so too. But things appear to be alright. Heartbeat's stable, everything is steady."

Suddenly the computer blinks madly again. Even worse than before. Brandon panics, Walternate stands up and walks closely to the tank. The screen showing the condition in the tank has blurred, and Brandon starts to talk into his mic "Agent Dunham, can you hear me?"

"I repeat, Agent Dunham, can you hear me?

No answer.

"Sir?"

"Open the tank. Get her out."

Brandon climbs up and opens the tank. He sees nothing. Only clear, blue water.

"Sir.."

Brandon pauses, takes a deep breath and finally opens up his mouth when he finds the courage to say what he's going to say.

"She's not here. She's gone."

* * *

Three days passed.

Walternate has briefed Broyles about the situation, making sure that they are the only people who know about this havoc. They lost contact with the other side, the head Shapeshifter - Thomas Jerome Newton has been deactivated, and their Agent Dunham hasn't been reporting anything at all for the last couple of days. She is now their leading lady, and all communication to and from the other side goes through her.

Walternate has seen this coming – the disappearance of his Olivia. If the other Olivia Dunham manages to return home, it means that his double, and _his_ son would figure out that the Olivia who has been living with them is not actually their Olivia. Only God knows what's happening to her right now. Well, not that Walternate really cares about her, it's just the _mission_ that's bugging his mind.

Communication has been stopped. He has no one trustworthy enough on the other side. The weapon is not done yet. His plan.. all ruined. The plans he's made since years ago. The plan for revenge. To win the war. To get his son back. Peter.

Peter is still _there_.

Now with Olivia being there too, Walternate sees no reason for Peter to come back _home_. At least not anytime soon.

He needs to get Peter back. He needs the mission to go on. He wants to win the war. He needs a new plan. It's not like his subordinates failed their tasks – they all just didn't see this coming. The girl must have stayed. Olivia Dunham, the girl from the other side, was _not_ supposed to cross back. Not before Walternate finds out how she does it.

"First, it all started because of a boy.", Walternate thought. "And now there's this girl."

He opens the door of his office, steps in and slams it. Hard.

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A/N: Told ya it was short. Bare with me, okay, whenever I bike to uni every morning there's just this thought inside my head, you know, that I have to write a chapter over there. Just to see how pissed Walternate is. So I just decided to go for it. I promise Chapter 5 will be up as soon as possible, probably within these next couple of days, well, maybe after 3x06 airs so I know how things are actually going on the show. I love me some reviews – they motivate me to write more and more so please do leave 'em if you can ;) It's always good to hear some feedback. Thanks, and oh, Happy Fringe Thursday :)


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

Finally! I hope this is worth the wait, it's set over here, characters involved are Walter, Peter, and our one and only Olivia Dunham 3 Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own Fringe. This fic is for fangirling purposes only. And I once read, _one should write what one needs to write_. So yeah ;)

* * *

"Don't forget the M&Ms, Peter! I'll go look for some cream cheese."

"Yes, Walter. I won't forget about the M&MS."

Peter walks towards the chocolate and candy section of the supermarket, and stops as he finds the bags of bright colored chocolate candy he was looking for. He grabs a couple of them and puts it in his shopping cart. Those chocolate candies, although they do seem rather futile and irrelevant, actually bring back memories. 'Our first year together,' Peter thought. That one case in which they had the little guy who up till now Peter suspects is an Observer of some sort, and that was the case when Peter got to know Olivia's profound love for M&Ms.

"These bloody strawberry flavored death! How can you still sell these? Didn't I tell you to get rid of them?"

'Oh, God. Walter.' Peter thought. 'Not again.' Peter pushes the cart and walks swiftly towards his dad.

"Walter. Please."

"This is unacceptable, Peter. Do you know how bad this is for our health?"

"We're not getting any of those, okay. So it doesn't matter. Now give me your cream cheese and let's go pay."

"If this is what you're feeding our young generation, what happens in the future is actually your fault!" Walter puts the package of pop-tarts back to the shelf and gives the salesperson a supposedly-intimidating look. The salesperson just stands there, not really understanding what's going on, and slightly trying not to laugh.

They reach the cashier and Peter pays for the grocery. They're going to visit Olivia today at the hospital, and this is going to be Peter's first visit. Olivia has been there for a week but Peter hasn't seen her since they met at the Opera House, when Olivia managed to cross back to our universe. Walter insists on making her some pie and he also said that they should bring some of her favorite goodies. Peter is actually still unsure about all this. What would he say to Olivia? Would she even want to see him? Should he even go there?

"Oh, Peter, can we stop by at the record store?"

"Are you buying Olivia something? Come on Walter we don't really have much time. You'll need time to bake your pie and we don't want to be too late."

"Oh, yes, I thought it would be nice to bring her something.. musical. A CD, perhaps. Jazz. Yes, jazz. Baking the pie won't take long, no need to worry, Son."

Peter just nods and follows as his dad walks to the closest record store. Since he isn't looking for anything in particular, he just wanders around, flipping through some random CDs and DVDs.

_Wake you up, in the middle of the night to say  
__I will never ever walk away again  
__I'm never gonna leave this bed_

_So, you say go, it isn't working and I say no, it isn't perfect so I'll stay instead  
__I'm never gonna leave this bed_

He starts to listen to the song that's playing in the store. '_I will never ever walk away again._'

He feels silly for a while. Why is he paying so much attention to this song? He has to admit that it is quite catchy, but the words just seem to fit his situation so perfectly. He feels like he's in high school, you know, comparing his life to a song or vice versa.

'But I should stay.' he thought. 'Even if Olivia tells me to go.'

"Peter? I'm done. Let's go."

Things are never perfect. They will never, _ever_ be perfect. But perhaps him staying - with the real her, fighting against all this together, will make things better.

Peter takes a deep breath.

"Yes, Walter. I'm coming."

* * *

"This way, Mr. Bishop."

"My, thank you."

The nurse opens the door and lets Walter walk in. Peter follows cowardly behind him.

There she is, lying in her hospital gown. Now no more cables are attached, she looks strong and stable. Her eyes are closed. For once, Peter is mesmerized. He remembers how worried he is when they were at this same situation a year ago. Olivia crossed to the other side for the first time and came back hurt. They even thought she was not going to make it but she did. Peter remembers his feelings when he was about to say goodbye to her, for what he thought would be the very last time. She looks more serene, now. Peaceful, in a way. 'I could go on like this forever,' Peter thought. 'Just looking at her.'

"Olivia." Walter calls her name.

"Walter. You shouldn't-"

She opens her eyes. She blinks a couple of times and finally manages to get a grip of reality.

"Oh. Hey, Walter." She looks at Peter but just gives him a cold smile.

"I can see that you're getting better! How are you feeling, dear? I brought you some pie. It's pecan! I also brought you this splendid jazz CD, and also some chocolate and many other little things!"

Walter opens his shopping bag and now Olivia can see what exactly he was talking about.

Olivia smiles, "Thank you, Walter. Really."

"Would you like to eat the pie now? Should we all share it?"

"Well.."

"I'll take that as a yes. I'll go find some cutleries. You two stay here."

Walter walks out of the room quickly, now leaving Peter and Olivia alone. Just the two of them. In the same room. For the very first time, after she came back. After the whole switcheroo. They both feel awkward, Olivia just keeps staring at the wall in front of her, playing with her nails, while Peter just stands there, hands in his jeans pocket.

He finally looks up to her. 'I'm going to break this stalemate.' He thought.

"Olivia."

"Yeah?" She looks at him, her face emotionless but her eyes tells everything. Those calm, green eyes. From it you can see a hint of despair, yet those eyes still look as bold as ever. He notices that their eyes are so different, hers and her alternate's. Hers look calming, just like a deep blue ocean, while Altlivia's look actually more rough and rowdy. He curses inside his own head and hates himself for not noticing the difference soon enough. He should've noticed. He shouldn't have needed Olivia to literally cross back and give him the wake up call.

"Liv. Look. I'm sorry."

"Peter.."

"No. Just listen. I'm sorry. For _everything_. For what happened between us. Between you, me, and.. that imposter. I'm sorry."

She just looks at him in the eyes, seemingly not willing to say a word.

"You have all the reasons in the world to hate me. You can, if you wish, not listen to what I'm saying. You can ask me to leave. You can do anything you want. But here's the thing, I'm staying."

"What?"

"I'm staying. I'm going to fight for this. For us. I'm never going to leave, ever again."

"But Peter. Why force it?"

Peter has nothing to say. He stares down at his shoes, trying to avoid her eyes.

"She's from your universe, Peter."

...

"Maybe... she's the right person for you."

"Olivia. Do _not_ say that. Please."

"Look, Peter-"

"_You belong with me._ You said it. You said it yourself. I belong with you. And you belong with me, Olivia."

"Peter.. I can't."

"I know you were going to react this way. I know you'd tell me to go. But now, let me ask you something. How am I supposed to forget everything? The two years I've spent with you, with Walter.. you were the one who brought us back together as a family. What happened these last couple of months.. heck I didn't know that was coming. But we made it. We went through it. We've been through a lot together, Olivia. Case after case, weirdness after weirdness, universe after universe, we made it through. You were protecting me from time to time. When I told you I've never met anyone who can do the things that you do – I meant it. And sometimes that makes me think that you wouldn't need someone like me, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Don't tell me to give up on us, Olivia."

"But you.. and her."

"I thought she was you. I didn't know. I swear to God, Olivia, I didn't know. The whole time."

Olivia looks down in dismay. She grabs her blanket and just stays silent.

"If I knew that she's who she is.. God, Olivia, I'd never treat her that way."

"What way?"

"...As if she was you."

...

"Liv, I promise, okay? This time I'll never leave. I'll never leave _you_. Ever. I'll stay. I know things are going to be rough, but what's the point in going through all of it if you're not with the person you love?"

He comes closer and holds her hand. He feels a hint of warmness, something he's missed for quite a while.

"Do not give up on us, Olivia. Just, don't."

Olivia just looks at him, not really knowing what to say. A part of her wants to let go of his hands, but a part of her wants to hold it still. She misses him. This is the real him. She's finally with him. This isn't a voice that's in her head, this is _him_.

"Anyone fancy some pie?", suddenly there's Walter's voice. He stands in front of the door, with plastic plates and forks, and pauses for a while. Normally Olivia might feel like letting go of Peter's hands, just to avoid the awkwardness and everything, but this time she doesn't. She doesn't really care anymore. She knows she wants him. And today he made it clear that he wants her too. She holds his hand tightly, as if she'd never let go.

Walter smiles. Perhaps it was the pie that's making him so excited, but most likely it's what's happening in front of him that made him feel jolly.

* * *

**A/N**: PETER AND OLIVIAAAA (THIS TIME THE RIGHT ONE! YES!) OMG. YES. Okay. I just had a brief shipper moment. Anyways, I hope you guys like where things are going.. I don't know what to do yet with Altlivia, honestly. Comments and opinions are _always_ welcome. Oh and the song is from Maroon 5, "Never Gonna Leave This Bed". I _love_ the acoustic version of it, and I somehow thought it fits the whole situation. Probably it's just me, mhm. Anyways, SEE YOU IN CHAPTER 6!

P.S. Do not forget to vote for Fringe for the People's Choice Awards and tune in for an all-new Fringe this Thursday! THE JOURNEY HOME IS ABOUT TO BEGIN ;)


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